Experimental Analysis of Dust Separation in the Internal Cooling Air System of Gas Turbines

For further improvements in efficiency and performance a better understanding of the internal cooling air system of gas turbines, which provides the turbine rotor blades with cooling air, is necessary. With the increase of cooling air passing through the internal air system, a greater amount of air borne particles are transported to the film cooling holes at the turbine blade surface. In spite of their small size, these holes are critical for blade cooling. Blockage of only a few holes could have harmful effects on the cooling film surrounding the blade. As a result, a reduced mean time between maintenance or even unexpected operation faults of the gas turbine during operation occurs. With a new test rig, the behaviour of particles in the internal cooling air system could be investigated at realistic flow conditions compared to a modern, real world gas turbine. It is possible to simulate different particle sizes and dust concentrations in the coolant air. A first comparison of design expectations and measurements, showing the behaviour of air borne particles in the internal cooling air system under realistic environmental conditions is given in the paper. Further the design tools for nearly a full internal air system flow path could be validated with this new test rig.Copyright © 2002 by ASME